Thursday, January 26, 2017

Love this Local Bookstore! Page 158 Books

I know this is for book reviews but it's a new year and there is so much reading time ahead for us all! Mostly I am reading my Book club choice this month, "Nobody's Fool" by Richard Russo. Even though I read it quite a few years ago and saw the adorable movie, I wanted to re-read it again. I try to do that as long as it's been a few years since I've had my eyes on it. Now that Christmas is behind us, there should be lots of time to indulge ourselves in the wonderful world of reading. I hope so at least. It may take another ice storm to give me the time I want, between my family, our store, Signarama/Raleigh, writing and oh, yeah, life. 

Living in Wake Forest, I love to support the local businesses as often as possible. The local restaurants seem to get the larger piece of my spending pie, but downtown is so lovely I try to get there as often as I can. I had been in Page 158 Books a few times but had not had the chance to talk with the owners. At a recent author book talk, I was fortunate enough to hear two wonderful authors discuss their books and many other things with owner, Sue Lucey. Sue does a great job with the interview and asked the questions that I wanted to hear answered, and many I had not thought of but also wanted to know. She had a community TV show at one time before moving here and it shows. She runs the author visits like the pro she is. 

But don't get the wrong idea, this is not a big, cold operation. When you enter the small store, you will get it. There are more books than you can shake a stick it, and Sue and Dave will help you find whatever you are looking for and more. When I went in that night in November for the book talk, I had only planned to buy Pat Conroy's last book, "A Lowcountry Heart: Reflections on a Writing Life." I am supposed to be on restrictions until I read some of my previous purchases. But after listening to the talk, and then talking to both Sue and Dave, I walked out the door with around 6 or 7 books! Don't judge, some of the books were gifts for Christmas and they had awesome suggestions. 

Sue escaped, like me, into reading at a young age and started and joined book clubs her adult life. When she and Dave moved to Wake Forest in 2007, she wanted to start a literary festival. When the Renaissance Center opened, she approached them and came up with Author Interviews once a month. At that time, she worked with Storytellers Bookstore to coordinate some of the events. One day she mentioned to the owner that she would love to own a bookstore one day and two days later the owner emailed Sue with an offer she and Dave couldn't resist - Page 158 Books was born. 

The name was suggested to them by a good friend, Andy Ellis, who owns a marketing firm in Wake Forest. You can visit them at 158 South White Street, Wake Forest! Can you figure out where the name came from? They are open on Monday - Wednesday from 10am - 6pm, on Thursday - Friday from 10am - 7pm and on Saturday from 10am - 6pm. They are closed on Sundays. They continue to use their name to promote the store by having their visiting authors sign their books on Page 158 which usually turns out to hold a turning point in their story Sue told me. And have they hosted some amazing authors, from Diane Chamberlain, to Vivian Howard and Ashley Christiansen. Check out their full calendar on their website or Facebook page. Sue recommended some of her favorite books for this blog, "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck and "The Bright Edge of the World" by Eowyn Ivey. I added that one to my To-Read List!  

Even though they love their location, a larger building across the street has caught their eye. Plans to refurbish it with a soda fountain and large upstairs room for author visits is on their wish list. But for now, they love being at 158 S White St. With bookclubs, adult coloring events, cookbook clubs, and author visits, there is lots to see and do at Page 158 Books. If you don't have time to get in, they can special order just about anything. Check out their amazing online store or call with requests. You can find them on Facebook, @Page158Books or on the web, page158books.com. Whatever you are looking for Sue and Dave can handle it. But more than anything after you meet them, you will know why they are a big success from the warm feeling and love for books and people that you will feel yourself when you walk away. Visit them today!  

Friday, January 13, 2017

Patty Pick for 1/12/17 is Happy New Year of Reading!

Winter is definitely here and that gives me a lot of time 
to write and read!! Finished "The Opposite of Everyone" by 
Joshilyn Jackson. She remains one of my favorite authors. 
This book tells another tale of a strong, but vulnerable woman with her heart in the right place. Joshilyn has written some of my favorite books like, "Between, Georgia" and "A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty" and "Gods in Alabama". 
I also loved her 2013 novel, "Someone Else's Love Story". 
It starts hard and fast with a robbery at the mini-mart and goes from there. You just 
can't go wrong if you like to read. A novel by her, with her quick Southern wit and terrific sense of family will be the ticket, they are not family in always the most typical form either. 

I also have a very special book awaiting my reading time, "Small Great Things" by Jodi Picoult. The first time I read one of her books, "My Sister's Keeper", I was blown away. 
Not your Southern genre per se, but she portrays amazing characters, situations, and endings. She always has a twist that you will not see coming and sometimes it will not come until the last few pages. Talk about page turner! My daughter gave me her latest book for Christmas and it is burning a hole in my reading schedule! I can't wait to get to it. She usually picks current topics and this one is about race relations, something we have all heard so much about lately. Too much - I thought we had come further in our country, but sorry to say that we have not. 

At least this weather gives me lots of time to work on my latest book, "One in a Million" 
about Lisa Shank's amazing recovery from a rare and deadly disease. You will not believe her story!  Hope you all are staying warm and dry and reading! When is Spring coming?